At first buzz Cleveland garage punks The Venus Flytraps may come across as an extension of The White Stripes and The Cramps with a bit of a gimmick.
Take the cover image and the b-movie snippets scattered throughout, the pseudonyms – Evil Dr. Mike and Vondrella Raygun, the song titles like “X-Ray Eyes” and “Living Dead” and it all paints a picture. But do yourself a favour and dig deep into their excellent debut LP – “Night of the Venus Flytraps“.
Sure the lingering influence of the aforementioned bands is there, but I get the feeling it’s all with a knowing wink and a touch of exaggeration.
Mixing the raw sound of original garage acts like the Troggs, the Monks and the Kinks with swampy blues and campy go-go, The Venus Flytraps construct a very effective version of schizophrenic garage punk.
Even when they are using the formula of primitive riffs and serious fuzz, the songwriting is first-rate. Brewed in a richer distillery of blues than the aesthetic would have you believe; their sound is devil-spawned and exudes an exciting energy. They must be a wicked live band.
Kelly Venus – Guitar
Aubrey O’Blivion – Bass
Vondrella Raygun – Vocals
Evil Dr. Mike – Drums
